Leonard Shilgba
At a time of great hopelessness and dryness ( in their personal and economic endeavors) among the Jews, Prophet Ezekiel was taken by the Spirit of God to a valley full of dry bones and given a great revelation. After taking in the sight for a moment, he was asked a great question by God: "Can these bones live?" The prophet could only throw it back to God, "You know the answer." And yes, God always knows the answer. God then asked Ezekiel to "prophesy to the dry bones." How does one begin to prophesy to a hopeless people whose only expectation is tangible or material assistance? But how can a people that has little patience for rich information and knowledge value prophecy? As we examine the content of the prophecy we will have an insight into what prophecy means.
Great prophecy: "I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live." The prophecy then outlines the systematic steps: "I will lay sinews upon you, put flesh on the sinews, cover the flesh with skin, and finally put breath in you, and you shall live."
Revival of hope in Benue State must be preceded by a clear outline of tangible steps by the leader or Governor of the State. Governor Ortom must be articulate enough, positive enough, and practical enough. All three are missing right now. Faith is not enough, living faith is required. But living faith is demonstrated by both hopeful speech and workable actions.
Prophet Ezekiel prophesied as he " was commanded." Obedience by a leader to the heavenly vision precedes rejoicing by the people, and that is why "when the wicked RULE the people mourn, but when the righteous are IN authority they rejoice." And as he prophesied, three things happened: There was a noise, then a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. In other words, the prophecy instigated excitement, positive response, and order. The bones that were scattered in the valley were coupled together to form complete and orderly skeletons; one person's bone did not lock up with another's. This is order.
After another prophecy to an external agent ( the wind) was made, and it entered into the sinews-flesh-skin-covered skeletons, a great army stood up in the valley, where once only very dry bones littered.
Benue people complain, "Our bones are dry, and our hope is gone." They complain of lack of fertilizers for their crops; they lament that their oranges cannot be sold in Benue State at great prices because they must take them outside their State and hand over to strangers who sell at whatever price and hand them a pittance. They complain that the State government lacks the vision, knowledge and will to take very simple steps to make them rake in billions of naira from their oranges. While a State like Anambra exports vegetables and earns foreign currency, and does not owe workers any salaries, the Benue Orange farmer, without his government's intervention, only slaves for other Nigerians in Lagos, Abuja, Port- Harcourt, etc., who make billions off his labor. The same story can be told of the Benue yam farmer, tomato farmer, etc. If you can tell the economic contribution of Benue oranges, yams, tomatoes, etc., to the GDP of Nigeria, then you will appreciate the humongous loss of the Benue economy, because a huge chunk of that is not retained in Benue. But the lamentation in the land is that,"There is no money." No, rather, there is no visionary government. Governor Ortom's problem is not money, and definitely, not the poor actions of his predecessor. Enough of lamentation and blame game! "Much food is in the tillage of the poor, but there is that is destroyed for want of judgment." (Proverbs 13:23) This scripture aptly describes Benue State and its present government.
Benue State is not poor because it has no money; rather, it lacks money because it lacks judgment ( understanding of time, vision of time, and wisdom of God's will). If I believed that good counsel is yet cherished and acted upon by the Ortom government, I would remind of what I have written before about Benue agriculture, and would have made available to the governor a draft bill that formalizes the vision. But this is what I will say: This opportunity will pass to another if not siezed with skillful hands and upright heart.
God said to the people of Israel through Prophet Ezekiel, "I will open your graves, and bring you up and bring you from captivity into Israel ( The Promised Land), and you shall know that I am the Lord." God will rescue Benue himself. His arm shall fetch salvation for the people. But first, God will turn their heart back to him, for the set time to favor and show them mercy has come.
"God will arise and show mercy upon Benue; for the time to favor Benue has come." ( Psalm 102:13). God's mercies are fresh, full and free. He will show us mercy in giving us unprecedented repentance, unspeakable vision, and living faith.
I conclude by alerting Governor Ortom of symptoms of his inactivity and lack of productive leadership ( his fallow grounds, which he is yet to break up):
1. As the Local Government chairman of all local government areas of Benue (Ortom is yet to conduct local government elections almost one and half years since he became governor) he has failed to clean up our towns and villages, leaving them even worse than he met them. I vacationed in Lagos State last month (August, 2016), and learned about Governor Ambode's strategy to build eight roads in each local government area every year, which would translate to thirty-two roads per local government area in four years. I am disappointed that, in Gboko, for instance, the Tiv capital, the colonial beautifully designed streets are being destroyed by erosion, and I see no evidence of action by Ortom's government to have them laid with tarmac. This applies to other major towns in Benue such as Otukpo, Katsina-Ala, Adikpo, Lessel, etc. What is the plan?
2. Poor traffic control on our streets/ roads and in our markets without adequate parking spaces and recreational facilities; lack of traffic or road safety measures; absence of waste management plan, just to mention a few simple things that should make life more livable, are a proof that change is yet to come. What is the plan? The continued disorder is an indication of absence of government.
3. I have seen some State governments in Nigeria take steps to secure their homeland. Considering the urgency required, I am unaware what has become of the bill to fix the Fulani cattle herders' menace in Benue, which was widely announced by Ortom's government about two months ago ( Remember Ekiti).
4. Governor Ortom had directed Benue workers to work for only four days a week in July this year, and use the remaining day and weekend to take to farming. This action betrayed his (mis)understanding of agriculture. Let us assume Ortom told Benue workers to work for only four days a week, and invest the remaining time in refining crude oil, estate development, or manufacturing activities such as processing agricultural produce. The likely response would be the question, "Where does he expect them to get capital from?" The same question applies. Governor Ortom needs to understand that agriculture is big business and that not everyone can invest in it. He needs to understand who a farmer is, what assistance true farmers need, and that just because a man is poor doesn't mean he is a "farmer." Farmers are rich people, facilitated by a series of steps by their government. For now, Ortom has done nothing tangible for agriculture in Benue State. He needs to break up his fallow ground.
Benue shall live again.
L. K. Shilgba
At a time of great hopelessness and dryness ( in their personal and economic endeavors) among the Jews, Prophet Ezekiel was taken by the Spirit of God to a valley full of dry bones and given a great revelation. After taking in the sight for a moment, he was asked a great question by God: "Can these bones live?" The prophet could only throw it back to God, "You know the answer." And yes, God always knows the answer. God then asked Ezekiel to "prophesy to the dry bones." How does one begin to prophesy to a hopeless people whose only expectation is tangible or material assistance? But how can a people that has little patience for rich information and knowledge value prophecy? As we examine the content of the prophecy we will have an insight into what prophecy means.
Great prophecy: "I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live." The prophecy then outlines the systematic steps: "I will lay sinews upon you, put flesh on the sinews, cover the flesh with skin, and finally put breath in you, and you shall live."
Revival of hope in Benue State must be preceded by a clear outline of tangible steps by the leader or Governor of the State. Governor Ortom must be articulate enough, positive enough, and practical enough. All three are missing right now. Faith is not enough, living faith is required. But living faith is demonstrated by both hopeful speech and workable actions.
Prophet Ezekiel prophesied as he " was commanded." Obedience by a leader to the heavenly vision precedes rejoicing by the people, and that is why "when the wicked RULE the people mourn, but when the righteous are IN authority they rejoice." And as he prophesied, three things happened: There was a noise, then a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. In other words, the prophecy instigated excitement, positive response, and order. The bones that were scattered in the valley were coupled together to form complete and orderly skeletons; one person's bone did not lock up with another's. This is order.
After another prophecy to an external agent ( the wind) was made, and it entered into the sinews-flesh-skin-covered skeletons, a great army stood up in the valley, where once only very dry bones littered.
Benue people complain, "Our bones are dry, and our hope is gone." They complain of lack of fertilizers for their crops; they lament that their oranges cannot be sold in Benue State at great prices because they must take them outside their State and hand over to strangers who sell at whatever price and hand them a pittance. They complain that the State government lacks the vision, knowledge and will to take very simple steps to make them rake in billions of naira from their oranges. While a State like Anambra exports vegetables and earns foreign currency, and does not owe workers any salaries, the Benue Orange farmer, without his government's intervention, only slaves for other Nigerians in Lagos, Abuja, Port- Harcourt, etc., who make billions off his labor. The same story can be told of the Benue yam farmer, tomato farmer, etc. If you can tell the economic contribution of Benue oranges, yams, tomatoes, etc., to the GDP of Nigeria, then you will appreciate the humongous loss of the Benue economy, because a huge chunk of that is not retained in Benue. But the lamentation in the land is that,"There is no money." No, rather, there is no visionary government. Governor Ortom's problem is not money, and definitely, not the poor actions of his predecessor. Enough of lamentation and blame game! "Much food is in the tillage of the poor, but there is that is destroyed for want of judgment." (Proverbs 13:23) This scripture aptly describes Benue State and its present government.
Benue State is not poor because it has no money; rather, it lacks money because it lacks judgment ( understanding of time, vision of time, and wisdom of God's will). If I believed that good counsel is yet cherished and acted upon by the Ortom government, I would remind of what I have written before about Benue agriculture, and would have made available to the governor a draft bill that formalizes the vision. But this is what I will say: This opportunity will pass to another if not siezed with skillful hands and upright heart.
God said to the people of Israel through Prophet Ezekiel, "I will open your graves, and bring you up and bring you from captivity into Israel ( The Promised Land), and you shall know that I am the Lord." God will rescue Benue himself. His arm shall fetch salvation for the people. But first, God will turn their heart back to him, for the set time to favor and show them mercy has come.
"God will arise and show mercy upon Benue; for the time to favor Benue has come." ( Psalm 102:13). God's mercies are fresh, full and free. He will show us mercy in giving us unprecedented repentance, unspeakable vision, and living faith.
I conclude by alerting Governor Ortom of symptoms of his inactivity and lack of productive leadership ( his fallow grounds, which he is yet to break up):
1. As the Local Government chairman of all local government areas of Benue (Ortom is yet to conduct local government elections almost one and half years since he became governor) he has failed to clean up our towns and villages, leaving them even worse than he met them. I vacationed in Lagos State last month (August, 2016), and learned about Governor Ambode's strategy to build eight roads in each local government area every year, which would translate to thirty-two roads per local government area in four years. I am disappointed that, in Gboko, for instance, the Tiv capital, the colonial beautifully designed streets are being destroyed by erosion, and I see no evidence of action by Ortom's government to have them laid with tarmac. This applies to other major towns in Benue such as Otukpo, Katsina-Ala, Adikpo, Lessel, etc. What is the plan?
2. Poor traffic control on our streets/ roads and in our markets without adequate parking spaces and recreational facilities; lack of traffic or road safety measures; absence of waste management plan, just to mention a few simple things that should make life more livable, are a proof that change is yet to come. What is the plan? The continued disorder is an indication of absence of government.
3. I have seen some State governments in Nigeria take steps to secure their homeland. Considering the urgency required, I am unaware what has become of the bill to fix the Fulani cattle herders' menace in Benue, which was widely announced by Ortom's government about two months ago ( Remember Ekiti).
4. Governor Ortom had directed Benue workers to work for only four days a week in July this year, and use the remaining day and weekend to take to farming. This action betrayed his (mis)understanding of agriculture. Let us assume Ortom told Benue workers to work for only four days a week, and invest the remaining time in refining crude oil, estate development, or manufacturing activities such as processing agricultural produce. The likely response would be the question, "Where does he expect them to get capital from?" The same question applies. Governor Ortom needs to understand that agriculture is big business and that not everyone can invest in it. He needs to understand who a farmer is, what assistance true farmers need, and that just because a man is poor doesn't mean he is a "farmer." Farmers are rich people, facilitated by a series of steps by their government. For now, Ortom has done nothing tangible for agriculture in Benue State. He needs to break up his fallow ground.
Benue shall live again.
L. K. Shilgba
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